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Frommer's British Columbia PDF

355 Pages·2012·37.014 MB·English
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British Columbia 7th Edition by Chloë Ernst & Chris McBeath Published by: JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this pub- lication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec- tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978/750-8400, fax 978/646-8600. Requests to the Pub- lisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201/748-6011, fax 201/748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/ permissions. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and the Wiley logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN 978-1-118-11377-6 (paper); ISBN 978-1-118-11448-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-11447-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-11446-9 (ebk) Editor: Gene Shannon Production Editor: Jana M. Stefanciosa Cartographer: Andy Dolan Photo Editor: Richard Fox Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services Front Cover Photo: ©Richard Berry / Design Pics Inc. / Alamy Images Description: Two canoes in a mountain lake, Lake O'Hara, British Columbia Back Cover Photo: ©Chris Cheadle / Alamy Images Description: Snowboarder takes air, British Columbia, Canada For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877/762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317/572-3993 or fax 317/572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. Manufactured in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS List of Maps vi 1 THE BEST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 1 The Best Travel Experiences 2 The Most Dramatic Drives 6 The Best Active Vacations 2 The Best Walks & Rambles 7 The Best Nature- & Wildlife- The Best Luxury Hotels & Resorts 8 Viewing 3 The Best B&Bs & Country Inns 9 The Best Family-Vacation The Best Rustic Accommodations: Experiences 4 Lodges, Wilderness Retreats First Nations Culture & History 4 & Log-Cabin Resorts 10 The Best Museums & Historic The Best Northwest Regional Sites 5 Cuisine 10 The Most Scenic Views 6 The Best Festivals & Special Events 11 2 BRITISH COLUMBIA IN DEPTH 13 British Columbia Today 13 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 24 Looking Back at British The Lay of the Land 26 Columbia 14 Responsible Travel 27 British Columbia in Popular Escorted General-Interest Tours 27 Culture 19 GENERAL RESOURCES FOR Eating & Drinking in British RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL 28 Columbia 21 Active Vacation Planner 28 When to Go 23 3 SUGGESTED ITINERARIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 31 The Back Roads of Interior B.C. The Best of Vancouver in 1 Day 35 in 1 Week 31 The Best of Victoria in 1 Day 36 The Wild & the Sophisticated on Vancouver Island in 1 Week 33 4 VANCOUVER 39 Essentials 39 Exploring Vancouver 63 Getting Around 45 Outdoor Activities 69 FAST FACTS: VANCOUVER 47 Vancouver Shopping 75 Where to Stay 48 Vancouver After Dark 78 Where to Eat 55 5 VICTORIA 84 Essentials 84 TAKING AFTERNOON TEA 96 Getting Around 87 Exploring Victoria 97 FAST FACTS: VICTORIA 88 Outdoor Activities 102 Where to Stay 89 Victoria Shopping 106 THE OAK BAY “PHOENIX” 92 Victoria After Dark 108 Where to Eat 93 6 SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND & THE GULF ISLANDS 112 Essentials 113 NORTH OF VICTORIA: GOLDSTREAM PROVINCIAL PARK 136 The Gulf Islands 116 Duncan & the Cowichan Valley 136 West of Victoria: Sooke & Beyond 132 En Route to Nanaimo 143 7 CENTRAL VANCOUVER ISLAND 146 Essentials 147 The West Coast Trail & Pacific Rim Nanaimo & Gabriola Island 148 National Park 162 BROKEN GROUP ISLANDS 167 Parksville & Qualicum Beach 157 Denman & Hornby Islands 175 En Route to Vancouver Island’s West Coast 160 Courtenay & Comox 177 8 NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND 183 Essentials 183 West to Gold River & Nootka Campbell River & Quadra Sound 194 Island 184 Telegraph Cove, Port McNeill, Alert Strathcona Provincial Park 192 Bay & Port Hardy 195 9 THE SUNSHINE COAST & WHISTLER 203 The Sunshine Coast 203 FROM PEAK TO PEAK 211 Whistler: North America’s Premier Ski Resort 207 10 NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA 224 The Inside Passage & Discovery The Yellowhead Highway: From Coast 225 Prince Rupert to Prince Prince Rupert 227 George 239 Haida Gwaii 234 Prince George 245 The Alaska Highway 249 11 THE CARIBOO COUNTRY & THE THOMPSON RIVER VALLEY 251 Cariboo Country Essentials 252 Quesnel 261 En Route to 100 Mile House 253 East to Barkerville & Bowron 100 Mile House & the South Lake 262 Cariboo District 255 The Thompson River Valley 264 Williams Lake 257 HOUSEBOATING ON THE SHUSWAP LAKES 268 West on Hwy. 20 to Bella Coola 259 12 THE OKANAGAN VALLEY 272 Essentials 272 Penticton 276 Touring the Wineries 273 Kelowna 282 Osoyoos 274 Vernon 291 Oliver 275 13 SOUTHEASTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA & THE KOOTENAY VALLEY 293 Revelstoke 294 The Kootenay Valley: Cranbrook & Mount Revelstoke National Park 300 Nelson 309 Glacier National Park 301 The Upper Columbia Valley: A Golfing & Recreational Golden 303 Paradise 316 EXPLORING THE COLUMBIA RIVER WETLANDS 305 14 PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO BRITISH COLUMBIA 319 Getting There 320 FAST FACTS: BRITISH COLUMBIA 323 Getting Around 322 Airline Websites 333 Index 335 LIST OF MAPS The Back Roads of Interior B.C. in Pacific Rim National Park 163 1 Week 32 Campbell River 185 Vancouver Island in 1 Week 34 Whistler Village 209 The Best of Vancouver in 1 Day 36 Prince Rupert 229 The Best of Victoria in 1 Day 37 Cariboo Country & the Thompson Greater Vancouver Area 41 River Valley 253 Vancouver 42 Kelowna 284 Victoria 85 Southeastern British Columbia 295 Vancouver Island 114 Mount Revelstoke & Glacier National The Gulf Islands 118 Parks 301 Nanaimo 150 British Columbia 324 HOW TO CONTACT US In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Frommer’s British Columbia, 7th Edition John Wiley & Sons, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 ADVISORY & DISCLAIMER Travel information can change quickly and unexpectedly, and we strongly advise you to confirm important details locally before traveling, including information on visas, health and safety, traffic and transport, accommodations, shopping, and eating out. We also encourage you to stay alert while traveling and to remain aware of your surroundings. Avoid civil distur- bances, and keep a close eye on cameras, purses, wallets, and other valuables. While we have endeavored to ensure that the information contained within this guide is accurate and up-to-date at the time of publication, we make no representations or warran- ties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular pur- pose. We accept no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for any inconvenience, loss, damage, costs, or expenses of any nature whatsoever incurred or suffered by anyone as a result of any advice or information contained in this guide. The inclusion of a company, organization, or website in this guide as a service provider and/or potential source of further information does not mean that we endorse them or the information they provide. Be aware that information provided through some websites may be unreliable and can change without notice. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any damages arising herefrom. ABOUT THE AUTHORS As a west-coast travel writer, Chloë Ernst has skied on the slopes overlooking her Vancouver home, rafted rivers in Whistler, and caught waves on Pacific beaches. She also contributes to Frommer's Vancouver & Victoria, as well as various print and online publications. Read more about the travel writer’s journeys at www.chloeernst.com. With a lifetime of travel under her belt, Chris McBeath says she has yet to find a destination that beats the natural beauty and cosmopolitan nature of her home British Columbia. A sea- soned travel writer with experience in many facets of the tourism industry, from chambermaid to management, aboard cruise ships and in top-ranked hotels, Chris brings to this book an insider’s eye for what makes a great travel experience. In addition to bylines that include print, online, and i-app publications worldwide, Chris maintains her own travel website (www.greatest getaways.com), is the contributing editor of “The Art of a Getaway” for the Arts & Cultural Guide to British Columbia (www.art-bc.com), and is the author for Frommer’s Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands & the San Juan Islands and coauthor of Frommer’s Vancouver & Victoria. FROMMER’S STAR RATINGS, ICONS & ABBREVIATIONS Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recom- mended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recom- mended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see). In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists. Throughout the book, look for: special finds—those places only insiders know about fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun kids—best bets for kids and advice for the whole family special moments—those experiences that memories are made of overrated—places or experiences not worth your time or money insider tips—great ways to save time and money great values—where to get the best deals The following abbreviations are used for credit cards: AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa DC Diners Club MC MasterCard TRAVEL RESOURCES AT FROMMERS.COM Frommer’s travel resources don’t end with this guide. Frommer’s website, www.frommers. com, has travel information on more than 4,000 destinations. We update features regularly, giving you access to the most current trip-planning information and the best airfare, lodging, and car-rental bargains. You can also listen to podcasts, connect with other Frommers.com members through our active-reader forums, share your travel photos, read blogs from guide- book editors and fellow travelers, and much more.

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